Meet Abhijeet Sonawane, a doctor who treats beggars for free

PUNE: ‘Doctor is the second God’ proverb truly describes this doctor from Pune, who treats homeless and beggars free of cost. Dr Abhijeet Sonawane starts his day by visiting shrines and religious places and treating the elderly and physically challenged homeless people, who beg to survive.

Moreover, he not only looks after the needy but also admits those in critical conditions to the government hospitals, taking care of all of their expenses.

Speaking to ANI, Sonawane said, “These elderly people are generally the ones who have been abandoned by their families and have no option but to beg. I not only do their check up but also give them free medicines which I carry with me. I do this from 10 am to 3 pm from Monday to Saturday.”

For these needy people, Sonawane is now like a family member, who has been helping them for almost two years now. He also has a trust named ‘Soham Trust’ which helps in executing this initiative.

“This is my way of giving back to the society. While treating these people I build a rapport with them and then try to convince them to quit begging and do some kind of work. I also assure them of my support in all forms,” said Sonawane.

Calling himself ‘Doctor for beggars’, Sonawane has set an example for others to emulate. (ANI)